Concept: Vertical Roots is a greenhouse/garden area targeted towards residential communities (~1,000 people) powered by AI, where regenerative agricultural practices are implemented instead of current mass agricultural farming practices which produce lower-quality produce and harms the environment. We hope that this system will produce better quality food, reduce food waste and bring communities closer as well.
Design Thinking: We will incorporate AI into our greenhouses to ensure top-notch quality, we will use solar panels and water-harvesting systems to minimize our footprint on the environment, the locations of the types of plants grown are determined by how much sunlight they require to prosper, and our app ensures utmost convenience for the community. By creating a space in the greenhouse where people can learn more about sustainability, our methods of farming, and more, we hope that it will create bonds of environmental awareness between members of our community. Considering the lack of space in today’s urban environment, vertical farming is also harnessed to ensure efficient use of space.
Sustainability Messaging: By using regenerative farming practices and incorporating the use of AI and robots into our system, we hope to better agricultural practices worldwide, reduce food waste, produce more nutritious food, and help people appreciate their food system. By reusing rainwater and incorporating the use of solar panels, we hope to use as many renewable energy sources as possible.
Innovation: Vertical Roots is a big step-up from our predecessors: industrial and mass-farming practices. By making tons of greenhouses, each one serving approximately one thousand people, we can guarantee high-quality produce harvested from sustainable methods. Produce harvested will also be cheaper than produce at a grocery store, as there will be no mark-up on the price, unlike how a grocery store marks up the price the farmers sold the produce at. We plan to incorporate a mobile app where users can place orders of produce for their convenience.
Technical Specifications: